1.
How long has your family been here in
Israel? – since 1957
2.
What is traditional Israeli culture?
What is the best part about this culture? – it is a very personal question
ofcourse, namely it has plenty of answers… but I think most israelies – the
majority of the Jewish majority – would take the jewish calendar, both
traditional-biblical and modern, as a strong common denominator. Both holidays
such as an old timer like Passover or a modern one like Independence day, are
seen by most israelies as important pillars of Israeli culture. And there are
of course the language and the modern popular culture – movies, literature,
museums, touring sites, songs, TV shows and so forth – that are widely
appreciated also by many Israeli Arabs. And maybe the best answer is that
Israeli culture reflects Israeli society: its' outstanding pluralism and
diversity, both outspoken and expressed in Hebrew (as well as Arabic, Russian,
English and many more other languages…)
3.
How does Israeli culture exist
outside patriotism? Outside religion? – I think I covered this question in
my previous answer. If I did not, here I am… don't hesitate to re-ask me…
4.
How has the Jewish experience of
diaspora influenced Israeli culture? – endlessly… enourmously… from the
very syntax of modern \hebrew (heavily influenced by Yidish grammar) to the
very thin fibres of Jewish sensitivities… unfortunately, the greatest lacuna on
that field is to be found in israeli-Jewish American relations… it seems that
the fact that most American jews put (just like most American society) the
emphasis on a modern-rational sort of 'confession' religion (either reform,
conservative, orthodox and even reconstructionist) influence this lack of
mutual influence. That is because, probably because, both Zionism and the
Israeli experience tends to take nationhood paramount to religion. More to be
said ofcourse.
5.
Is modernity an asset or threat to
Israeli culture? There is no Israel, no Israel at all, no israel's economy,
military strength, Israeli academy, Israeli politics, israeli pluralism,
Israeli tolerance towards LHBT, Israel's scientific superiority, Israel beeing
a start up nation, israel's pluralism and diversity, what did I miss? Without
modernity… so modernity is not just an asset to Israel, it is her very essence.
Anyone that would argue otherwise is either ignorant or a liar…
6.
Is there a difference between Israeli
and Palestinian culture? Of course… and a very, very deep one… on the other hand, the
fact that both peoples are sharing the same sky makes them better respect each
other, and if not to respect, at least to better know. As far as I can tell
both as a citizen and an historian, the deepest gap is to be located in the
basic world view. Whereas the ordinary jew respects human life as the most precious
value, Arab culture tends to judge other aspects of human life, such as honor,
as fundamental. The most important practical difference is to be found in the
socio-economic and political realms: whereas Arabs tends to be more fatalistic
and conservatives (as they say in Arabic: Kulu Maktub, namely "it is all
written in by god"), Jews tends to look all the time for better practical
solutions, short cuts and so on. No wonder all Arab nations combine are lagging
behind \israel in terms of infrastructure, medicine, education, communication,
and so on, not to mention to tiny issue of human and civil rights (do I have to
mention that in Saudi-Arabia women could not drive their cars on their own
until recently? As for LHTB… well, I guess you know the situation both in
Teheran and Gaza….). in short, using the main term of the previous question,
the cultural abysm that separate most Arabs from most jews, is the way
modernity Is perceived from the two opposing sides of the aisle… good news: I
said "most arabs" because in the middle east there is a small group
of Arabs, some 1.8 million, that in the last 70 years are moving very fast to
the modern side of the street. I will let you guess what citizenship they are
holding…
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